Remember that day you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? It was a glorious day! It did not take you long to realize that the decision you made to become a Christian was not the end, but the beginning. It was the beginning of new priorities, new commitments, and in fact, new in so many ways.
It was not until sometime had passed, that the gravity of the decision you made became aware to you. Not too long after your conversion, the Lord showed you that He was much more interested in you following His plan for your life, than you following your plan with His blessings. You being dedicated to the Lord took on a whole new meaning. An unknown writer said it this way, “dedication is writing your name on the bottom of a blank sheet of paper, and handing it to the Lord for Him to fill in.” That sounds so good and well, but putting that into daily practice is another thing entirely.
The Lord Jesus went through an extremely dark time of trial in His life, right before He was crucified. He goes to be alone with His Father, and takes three of His closest disciples with Him. He kneels and pours His heart out to the Father; he pleads that the events to soon follow will be taken away from Him. In this intense prayer to God, we see written in Mark 14:36, “And He was saying, ‘Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what you will.’” Jesus pleads this prayer three times. Each time notice the ending. The Lord submits to the Father for the Father to do to Him as He wishes.
What it means to be a Christian, is much more than asking Jesus in your heart. It is much more than attending church. It is much more than the friends you keep. What it means to be a Christian boils down to Jesus’ response. It means letting God do to you whatever He pleases. Now, that is being a Christian!
